(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for receiving and for transporting an article, which device has receiving means which can be slid under the article by a sliding means. Once the receiving means have picked up the article from an underlay, for example a conveyor belt, they are moved by a robot to a different location where they release the article again, for example into a packing tray.
(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 C.F.R. 1.97 and 1.98
Devices of this type are known for example from WO 99/0036, JP 57-151533 and WO 2005/051812. The transportation of articles of this type presents particular problems when said articles are so flexible that they are compressed when they are received by the receiving means. Special measures must then be taken to avoid this.
GB 2 378 432 A discloses an arrangement in which gripping fingers are placed from both sides on a cake in order to hold said cake with a certain pressure. In order to be able to raise the cake, the gripping fingers are configured so as to have a plate via which a belt is drawn. The belt is in contact with the cake. If it is drawn upward via the plate, it takes the cake up with it.
A similar arrangement, in which however the plate is moved not vertically but rather horizontally, is described in WO 2007/093774 A1. In this case, during each movement cycle, a spring holding the belt at one end has to be tensioned over the entire path of movement of the belt. Furthermore, during its movement over the plate, the belt is subject to wear owing to the friction on the plate.
A further device of the above-mentioned type is described in the Applicant's own earlier German application 10 2007 045 042.